WHEN BRADEN AND ALI stepped into the antiques shop, Old Beardo looked up from the cash desk and immediately said, “No refunds.”
Then Leon entered. When he spotted Gerry, he said, “Cripes! Don’t tell me this is the guy who sold you that phone.”
Sliding down from his stool, Gerry said, “Oh, so you still remember me after all these years?”
“Who could forget that beard?”
“Who could forget that good-for-nothing grin?” Gerry shot back.
Always the peacekeeper, Ali stepped in, saying, “Oh, that’s right, Gerry, you mentioned you knew each other.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Gerry replied.
But Leon chuckled and said, “Knew each other? Barely. We had some interaction.”
“1978!” Gerry declared, raising one hand in the air, pointing toward the ceiling. Then he lowered his hand to point at Leo
